The Heart That Doesn't Mend
by yomoedmb
Summary: Ginny is left lonely from the war and there are only two things that cheer her up. A surprise that was left behind, and an unlikely comfort. Warning now there are some unacceptable happenings in this story so read with caution.
1. She Feels So Guilty

She walked into the room with everyone staring at her. _So everyone has heard about it then,_ Ginny thought to herself while crossing the common room to go to her dormitory. People whispered to each other as she passed and gave her sympathetic looks. _I could have done without those looks_. Her eyes started to fill with tears as she bounded up the stairs to her room.

Relieved her roommates weren't there, she immediately collapsed onto her bed in tears. The same thoughts kept running through her mind: _Why did he have to die? Why was it him that had to be chosen? It could've been anyone, but it was the one boy I loved._ Her body shook fervently with her sobs. It seemed every time she managed to quiet her thoughts and was sure her tears had finally run dry, new pangs of guilt and sadness made her eyes flood again.

After three months of fighting that felt like an eternity, the war had finally ended just a week ago. The duration of the war Ginny had spent either held up in tents traveling with everyone, or actually out on the field by Harry's side fighting. Harry had finally agreed to let her join in the fight when she pointed out that with her by his side, he would have his love with him on the battlefield and this might help in defeating Voldemort. Ginny had had no idea that although their love would defeat Voldemort, that love would destroy Harry too.

_It had been a cold misty morning when Ginny woke up in her tent. She noticed Harry was no longer beside her and left the tent to look for him. When Ginny finally found him he was sitting and staring at the fire with a brooding look on his face, and she felt a pain in her heart. This boy, no, this man, had her heart, and he had a horrible thing to do. She walked over to Harry and sat next to him and nudged him with her shoulder._

"_Oh, you're up," Harry said giving her a light kiss and staring at her with eyes full of sadness._

"_Talk. You can't get away from me. I have you stuck here," she said, looking at him with challenging eyes._

_He hesitated and stared at the fire again before he began talking. Harry knew Ginny was inescapable when she wanted to know something. After a few minutes he finally sighed and looked at Ginny._

"_Today's the day. I know it is; I can feel it. Voldemort is finally ready to face me after so many of his followers have been defeated, and I don't know how any of the plans will work. I have hatred towards him, but too much heart to effectively perform an Unforgivable Curse." He paused and looked back to the fire while postponing what he wanted to say to her next. "Ginny, promise me something."_

_Ginny hesitated for a second. "You know I'll do whatever I can."_

_He looked back up at her with tears in his eyes. She was completely taken aback, having never seen Harry show weakness before. "If anything happens to me today make sure I'm put next to Dumbledore, and everything I own is distributed between you and Ron." _

"_Harry, don't say that. You're going to survive and defeat Voldemort, and we'll make it through together." Ginny had tears pouring down her cheeks while saying this. She wasn't sure who she was trying harder to convince – Harry, or herself. "You destroyed all of the Horcruxes and have defeated so many Death Eaters. You're going to win this war and be everyone's hero, especially mine." She smiled at him through the tears, trying to reassure him._

"_Ginny, whatever happens just know that I love you. I have for so long now and if I do survive I want to marry you," Harry said while wiping the tears from her cheeks._

"_Let's not talk about this stuff right now, Harry. I will marry you, you know that, and I love you with my everything." Ginny stood, taking his hand to pull him up. She wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him with her everything._

_Harry kissed her back, sensing in the back of his mind this would be his last day with her. He pulled away and took her to their tent. They both knew what was to happen between them and decided they didn't care if people heard them. Harry looked deep into Ginny's eyes and started to lovingly undress her and made passionate love to her. _

_Harry made sure to put kisses in places that he had never voyaged to before. He lovingly caressed every part of Ginny, thinking nothing of himself but of the beautiful girl lying under him. At first he rubbed her clit the way he knew she loved and she bucked wildly against him. Harry knew every spot that Ginny loved; he had memorized her and at this moment was glad he had paid so much attention to her. Soon Ginny couldn't take it anymore and begged Harry to fill her with what she so desperately needed, him. Obliging to her request he slowly entered her looking deeply into her eyes. He gave her long full slow strokes just wanting to be with her for as long as he could. In his mind the longer he made love to Ginny the longer he really lived. _

_Ginny had become his main reason to fight and to stay strong over the months of wandering through Britain. After he had broken things off with her at Dumbledore's funeral his dreams were haunted with her face through the months he gone destroying the Horcruxes. When he had gotten back he had told her that he would do anything in his power to keep her safe as long as she would forgive his mistakes and be with him. Ginny had agreed without a fight since she had become frail from loneliness with him being absent. _

_With these thoughts wandering through his mind he couldn't control himself anymore and pounded into Ginny just the way she loved it. He made sure to hit the spot that drove her crazy. With hearing his name coming from her mouth he poured his love into her body until she was filled and he collapsed next to her breathing hard._

_Ginny wrapped herself around him, pulling him close to her body knowing the thoughts flowing through his mind were probably realistic. The tears started streaming from her eyes again, but she stemmed them before he noticed._

Ginny was torn from her memory when there was a knock on the door. She quickly sat up and tried to brush the tears away. But the tears were coming faster than her fingers could sweep them away, and were still falling down her cheeks when Hermione entered their room. She walked over to Ginny and sat on the bed next to her. Ginny leaned into Hermione and sobbed everything she felt out - the guilt, the pain, and the breaking of her heart, a slicing tear within her chest. Hermione wished Ginny would speak her pain instead of crying it out. She was sure she could be more helpful if she knew exactly what Ginny was thinking. Hermione knew she was undoubtedly the luckier of the two. In a sense, they were both cursed for they had lost Harry – someone they both loved dearly - but this fate had delivered love to Hermione, not stolen it away. The war had brought Hermione and Ron closer together and had broken down the walls of friendship and let them finally recognize the love they had for each other.

"I just don't understand. I feel like I'll walk into the common room and see him sitting there waiting for me, but I know he won't be, and it's because of me Hermione. It's all because of me." Ginny said this through shaking sobs and wails of pain. For a moment, Hermione thought Ginny might be ready to finally talk about what happened.

Suddenly Ginny sat up and pulled away from Hermione as if she had been shocked. "Hermione, would you please leave? I just need to be alone to think about this, I'm sorry."

Hermione hesitated on leaving her alone with such guilt and heartbreak waving through her. While she wouldn't think that Ginny would do anything to harm herself physically, she knew that Ginny was slowly drowning herself in guilt and anguish and that was almost as bad as death itself. "If that's what you want Gin, but you know you can always come to Ron or me if you need something."

Ginny nodded and lay back down on her bed while Hermione left. She then proceeded to sob herself into a haunted sleep.


	2. The Odd Comfort

"_Ginny, we need to get ready. We've leaving in a little bit to go head them off," Harry whispered to the redhead on his chest._

"_I wish we could stay here like this forever Harry, but I guess today we can't. We can do this for the rest of our lives though." Ginny said looking up into Harry's eyes and smiling. _

_Harry smiled at her optimism and stubbornness, he had always loved that about her. No matter what was going on,_ _she saw the best in it. She could've been holding an injured body that seemed beyond repair and state with honesty, "I can do it, I can fix him." _

_He stood up and got dressed and helped Ginny with her things. When she was about to leave the tent, he pulled her back to him and kissed her softly and with passion. After ending the kiss she looked up at him with eyes full of love and smiled her quirky smile._

"_You can say goodbye to me Harry, but I refuse to say it back." With that she left the tent to get some food. _

_As Harry stood there watching her shadow retreat, he knew today would be the hardest day he'd ever endure, and probably his last one._

_He ducked out of the tent and put on an optimistic smile to fool the others. He walked over to Mrs. Weasley and had some porridge in the frigid silence that had fallen around them. It seemed everyone knew the choices of what would happen and figured if they didn't talk at all, nothing bad could possibly happen. Everyone knew the possible outcomes of this final confrontation, both good and bad. But by not talking about it, none of the bad ones could possibly happen._

"_Come on everyone, it's time to head out now," Mr. Weasley announced to the group. He __then__ flicked his wand and magically everything was packed up into a miniature box that he put into his pocket._

_With that everyone congregated into a group and started walking the distance to the Death Eaters' camp. Ginny walked next to Harry holding his hand and gave it a reassuring squeeze every now and then to remind him she was there. Next to them walked Ron and Hermione_,_ who gave Harry furtive glances just to make sure he was still there._

_In front of them walked the Weasley clan with the four other siblings and parents. Lupin walked next to Mr. Weasley whispering plans and hopes. Following behind were the rest of the Order and students from the DA who insisted on fighting in the war._

_The oddly assembled group hustled along wanting to head the Death Eaters off so they would have the advantage of attacking the Death Eaters before they were alert enough to know of the assault. Voldemort's location was known only due to Draco's betrayal of the Death Eater's. A burning attempt at revenge on those responsible for the murder of his parents. When he had come in front of the Order, Harry had taken pity on him, knowing what it felt like to be an orphan, even if Draco had chosen to fight with Voldemort at first. In the end it didn't matter who had he believed in at the beginning, but who he fought with at the end._

_They finally came upon the Death Eaters' camp and huddled together far enough away so as to not be noticed by the enemy._

"_Gather around everyone!" Mr. Weasley said. "We have been in our share of battles against the Death Eaters, but today is different. Today we will also face You-Know-Who. If we can defeat him then today this war will be over, and it will end for us in victory."_

_After a round of nodding and murmurs of support, everyone reached for their wands. And with that, they attacked the campsite._

_And what a mess they caused. Tents were thrown revealing the unmasked Death Eaters, and beams of light emanated from wands as spells were cast everywhere. Harry ducked green lights while he searched for his destiny in the field. It seemed unsurprising no one had uncovered Voldemort yet - he was probably waiting for his minions to wear down the competition. Harry looked over to see how the others were doing and stupefied a Death Eater coming up behind Ginny. With that he jumped head first into the battle, figuring the less Death Eaters left after Voldemort was finished, the better._

_After evading numerous spells, hexes, and curses - and issuing plenty of his own - Harry heard a familiar voice screaming his name. Harry watched in slow motion as a cloaked and hooded figure strode towards Ginny. The sounds of the battle around him seemed to diminish to mere whispers as he listened to the words coming from inside the hood. The figure turned towards him for a fleeting moment, and Harry saw something like a smile play on the mouth of a man who seemed more snake-like than human. Then, in the blink of an eye, a wand was pointed at Ginny's throat._

_Harry then did the only thing he knew to do._

Ginny woke in the morning with drops of perspiration on her brow. Immediately she started crying again and yelled out Harry's name. She yelled his name over and over, waiting to see him appear before her, but it didn't happen. Instead Hermione appeared, and wrapping her arms around Ginny she began rocking her.

Once Ginny gained as much of her composure as she saw possible, she left Hermione's embrace and headed to the bathroom. She closed and locked the door and turned on the warm water in the shower. Ginny removed her clothes and looked in the mirror at herself for the first time in a long while. She saw her face had become gaunt and her bones now protruded from her chest and hips. At first she assumed it was because during the war she had barely been able to tolerate food due to her high strung nerves. But since making the effort to eat under the reproachful stares of her friends and family, she'd found she couldn't keep anything down even if she wanted to. After getting fed up with her image she stepped into the warm water of the shower and let it mingle with a fresh torrent of tears.

Hermione sat on her bed after getting dressed and waited for Ginny to get out of the shower. Today was the day that she was going to get the story out of Ginny no matter how hard it would prove. No one knew what had really happened to Harry except that he and Voldemort were dead. The only thing Ginny had said since was that it was her fault. Hermione couldn't see how Voldemort killing Harry was Ginny's fault, but that's what Ginny insisted.

Hermione waited for a while until Ginny emerged from the bathroom. She had to hold back a gasp when she saw Ginny in muggle clothes instead of her robes. _How could I have not noticed how frail she has become?_ Hermione asked herself. Instead of bringing the question to light, she just gave Ginny a concerned look. Ginny tried to smile at Hermione, but it just looked like she was in a serious amount of pain.

Before Ginny had a chance to shoo Hermione away she had been grabbed by the wrist and was being pulled down the stairs to the common room.

"Please Hermione, I just need to be let alone," Ginny begged Hermione, but Hermione hadn't seemed to hear her.

"We're going to breakfast, and then we're going on a walk so that we can talk Ginerva." Hermione said this with a tone that hinted at no escape.

Ginny walked, or more so got dragged along, with her head down. She didn't want to see the sympathetic looks the other students were giving her. It had been a week since they had come back to school and she was still getting looks, but she suspected they wouldn't stop anytime soon. It's not everyday you're dating "The Chosen One" and he dies in the epic battle to destroy Voldemort.

They arrived at the Great Hall before she even realized it. She could feel the eyes boring into her skin as she walked by. For once, she didn't even feel like raising her head up proudly because there was nothing to be proud about in her eyes, she had lost too much to feel anything but numb.

Hermione pulled Ginny down onto the bench next to her and started piling food on Ginny's plate for her. Ginny stared at the eggs, pancakes, and toast like they would eat her and felt disgusted. If people had told her last year that she would go days without eating and still have felt nauseous at the sight of food, she would've laughed in their face.

Ginny put her fork into the eggs and pushed them around staring at them in disgust until someone cleared their throat in front of her. She looked up to see Ron looking at her with a worried expression on his face.

"For Merlin's sake, Ginny, you need to eat something before your body finally just swallows you whole."

Ginny looked back down at the eggs and put a small portion on her fork and ate it. She then put a feeble attempt of a smile on her face and looked up at her brother as she swallowed.

"Oh now that won't do Gin," Ron said to her with a determined look. "I won't let you leave this table until you've cleared your plate."

Ginny looked at her brother like he had sprouted another head and looked back down at the plate of food. She thought she was already going to vomit with that one bite, but decided to at least try to eat; maybe it was just the nausea getting to her again.

After eating a pancake and half of her eggs she looked back up at her expecting brother with a green tinge to her face. With that she got up and ran outside to vomit. Hermione looked at Ron with her eyebrows furrowed together with concern, not noticing someone had followed Ginny outside.

"She's letting herself waste away since she feels so guilty, Ron. We have to do something."

"Yes, but nothing seems to work with her. She was stubborn and sarcastic before…well…you know." Ron hesitated as he remembered what had taken place. "But now she's stubborn in her guilt, and we don't even know the full story of what happened."

"I'm going to see if I can at least talk to her, or have her say something other than how guilty she feels," Hermione stated definitively while standing. She leaned over and kissed Ron and went outside.

Hermione found Ginny outside sitting on the bench next to Harry and Dumbledore's tombs. She remembered how Ginny insisted that Harry wanted to be laid to rest next to Dumbledore when something happened. It made her wonder if Harry knew that he was going to be killed.

Before Hermione could reach Ginny, she saw a blonde-haired boy walk over and sit next to Ginny and hug her. She had to blink a couple of times to make sure that she wasn't imagining Draco hugging a Weasley.

Hermione stood there watching the odd couple for a few more minutes waiting for Draco to do something offensive, obviously he couldn't realize that he was holding a Weasley. Even during the time he stayed with the Order he still had snide remarks to say about Hermione, but he just cradled Ginny in his arms stroking her hair and whispering something in her ear. Seeing that everything was all right, she walked back inside to tell Ron.


	3. Learning To Accept

Ginny lay in Draco's arms looking at Harry's tomb through puffy, but dry, eyes. She had finally stopped crying with Draco's consoling words in her ear.

"I saw it all happen Ginny and none of it was your fault. If he had to go, he would have wanted it to happen by saving someone he loved to repay all of the people who sacrificed their lives for him." Draco whispered to Ginny while he stroked her hair gently. "I do have one question to ask you Ginny. Why is it I see you eating, but I feel like I'm hugging a skeleton?"

Ginny looked up at Draco and hesitated. She didn't know whether to tell him the truth, or to lie to the only person she had spoken properly to all week. They had both lost people in the war some were dead, some were disowned, some just distanced. Ginny stood and walked over to Harry's tomb and put her hand on it. Then she turned to look at Draco over her shoulder.

"I'm pregnant," she said simply.

Draco looked at Ginny, surprised. He stood up and walked over to Ginny and wrapped his arms around her, hugging her close to his body.

"I'll help you in any way that I can Ginny. Whatever you need I'll give to you. I know you're supposed to have this child though, it's like it's meant to be that he would die and leave a child to fill his place." Draco said caressing Ginny's hair again.

Ginny looked up into Draco's grey eyes and saw the passionate care he had for her flicker in them. She nodded and rested her head against his chest while she pulled him closer. "I don't know what to do. I don't want to eat because I just feel empty without him, but I know I should for the child's sake, not to mention all of my friend's _very_ vocal concerns." She smiled with a look of mock accusation at Draco. "Anyway," she continued, "I try and make a big show of it and just end up being sick."

"Now that I know what the truth is, why don't we try that food thing again? But this time let's take it slow until you get used to it."

Ginny nodded and pulled away from him then started walking towards the castle. Draco watched her, in awe that Harry had left such a big present behind without knowing it. Laughing to himself, he began jogging to catch up with Ginny and grasped her hand in his.

"You know what?" Ginny asked, looking at Draco. "I think in some way that Harry would approve of this."

He looked down at her and smirked. "I never thought I'd say this but I hope he would. I really actually do."

With that they walked into the Great Hall and sat down at the Gryffindor table, spurring up even more whispers and looks than Ginny had already been receiving.

"I don't know what he was doing Ron, but he was calming her down, I know that much. If he can get her to feel better than she's been feeling then I don't see a problem with it," Hermione said, trying to convince Ron not to slug Draco for putting his hands on Ginny.

"Hermione, do you not realize that you're talking about Draco Malfoy? He was a Death Eater until his parents died. He only came to our side to stay safe, so he wouldn't be sacrificed like they had been." Ron paced around his dormitory being careful to avoid Harry's bed. Hermione studied Ron, noticing his cautious evasion of the spaces once occupied by Harry.

"He's not coming back Ron. No matter what you say, Harry is not coming back. You need to realize this, just like Ginny does. Ron, you need to talk about it and accept it."

Ron spun around to face Hermione with a confused look on his face. How the hell did they get from talking about Draco to talking about Harry? Why was it that everyone wanted to talk about their feelings?

"What are you talking about Hermione? I've accepted that he died, how could I have avoided that fact? I saw his dead body just like you, and I saw him buried. Then, as if was made to be a reminder of his death, my bank account grew to an unreasonable amount. So what is there to talk about?"

"I just don't understand how your best friend - practically your brother - dies, and you… you get angry that he left you money. How can you be so cold about it all?"

Ron walked over to Harry's bed. It was covered in flowers enchanted not to wilt amongst notes of love and gratitude for Harry. "It's so much easier to be mad at him than to be sad to have lost him." Ron wasn't shouting anymore; his voice was quiet, but steady. "The first night all I did was cry and replay the battle over and over to see if I could have saved him. Then the next day they told me his fortune had been split between Ginny and I, and all I could feel was jealous. Jealous because even in the face of his death, I felt… Second, or something. I mean," he continued quickly, "he was my best mate, and I know he never tried to make me to feel like that. It's just now not only can't I ever repay him all the debts I owe – fucksake, half my family owes their lives to him – but I'm left with a pile of his gold to feel guilty about too. After that I saw how miserable he had left Ginny and I was so bloody angry at him for having left her…and me. So instead of crying, I'm just avoiding… things."

Hermione had walked over to Ron and pushed him to a sitting position on the bed, she sat next to him holding his hand. "Ron, you areavoiding _him_, and in the worst way too. You haven't accepted his death, you're just pretending you're in a feud that will eventually become all better, but it won't. Let go, let yourself cry, let yourself look at his things and enjoy life the way he would've wanted you to."

Ron looked at Hermione with tears glistening in his eyes. He took her face in his hands and pulled her into a sweet kiss. Once he pulled away again he said, "How do you do it Hermione? How are you so damn strong and you can deal with this so well and still have the patience to take care of Ginny and I?"

Hermione smiled, "He would've wanted us to be happy Ron, that's what he gave his life up for. Whenever that strength doesn't come to me though, I just picture him finally being with his parents, and joking with Sirius, and learning from Dumbledore. I think Harry was put here to make the wizarding world peaceful again and to bring love and unity to, but wasn't granted any peace of his own in the process. I think, at the very least, he is at peace now."

"I just want to say goodbye and tell him I love him and thank him for all that he's done," sighed Ron.

"You know for some reason I think you'll be able to. I don't think Harry could leave that easily, but don't get your hopes up Ron."

Ron looked at Hermione quizzically and nodded. _Just how can I meet him half way so I can talk to him?_ He thought.

"Do you care that they stare at us?" Draco asked Ginny when they went back to his private room after breakfast.

"I'd rather have them talking about us, then have nothing but pity for me. The only thing that bothers me is I don't want people thinking that I'm just running to you because I lost Harry. I hope they don't think I was with you the whole time I was with him either though."

"Why _are_ you running to me Ginny? You're pregnant with his child, and you ran to me out of every person in the world."

Ginny hesitated at the question. "I'm not running anywhere Draco. You were never there in the past so you leaving now wouldn't hurt." Immediately after saying these words she wished she could take them back. "Oh shit Draco, I didn't mean it wouldn't hurt if you left, just… I don't know… it's hard to explain."

"I think I understand Ginny. You feel like everyone from your past has left you in some way. I understand that personally."

"And that's exactly why I came to you, or accepted it when you came to me. We've been through the same things that have caused us to change in so many ways, so we met in the middle."

Draco reached over and tucked a stray hair behind Ginny's ear. He let his hand linger on her cheek and gently caressed it with his finger. "You know what I said Ginny; I'm here for you through it all."

Ginny nodded and smiled, it was the first real smile she had smiled in a week. "I just can't believe I'm having a bab…" Ginny was interrupted by knocking on the door.

Draco stood up and walked to the door. But before he could open it, Hermione stormed in and marched over to Ginny.

"You're having a what Ginny?! Whose? It better not be his," Hermione hissed as she glared daggers at Draco. "You better not have done anything to hurt Harry!"

"Whoa, Hermione calm down! How did you hear that?"

"With your brothers' Extendable Ears. I wanted to make sure you were all right with him and when I heard… I did hear right? Right? You're pregnant?"

"Hermione please sit," Ginny coaxed her friend while she stood up. "Yes, I am pregnant, and no, it's not Draco's, it's Harry's. He must've gotten me pregnant right before he died, the slick guy. You don't have to worry; Draco has been amazing and has told me he'd help me through it all."

Hermione let out a breath of relief. "How did you two get so close though?" she asked, pointing at the pair.

"Well, he lost his parents, and I lost Harry, and we've found some… common ground, I suppose. Plus, he was the only one who knows exactly what happened that day."

"The day Harry died, right?" Hermione asked. Ginny nodded in response. "Ginny, what did happen that day?"

Ginny paused for a second and looked up at Draco who nodded for her to tell the story. They had agreed it'd be easier for her to let go if she told people what had happened. She started telling the story of the battle. Her voice carried on, but her mind drifted into her own flashback.


	4. I Want To Forget Again

_By the time she turned around to see what Harry was looking so frightened by, she saw Voldemort smirking as he began to raise his wand at her. She started screaming and raised her wand to point at the enemy. _

"_So you're the woman he loves? Goodbye little girl," Voldemort sneered at her and then said, "Avada Kedavra!"_

_Before the Killing Curse could hit her, Harry had dove in front of her and took the curse full fledged in his chest._

"_No!" Ginny screamed and looked up at Voldemort who had a pleased look in his eyes. "You fucking bastard!" She didn't even realize that she had risen her wand back up at him. The words slipped easily through her lips with hatred coursing through her body at this snake in front of her._

_In an instant the Dark Lord was in a pile on the ground. Slowly she realized she had performed the Killing Curse on him - she had defeated the darkest wizard that had ever lived. Realizing this, she sunk to Harry's body on the ground._

"_I'm so sorry Harry! This was my fault! If you hadn't loved me you never would have died this way, he never would have attacked me. I love you Harry! This was all my fault…" She trailed off whispering her guilt out to the one boy who had her heart. She sobbed on his dead corpse and kissed his forehead._

_After a few minutes, when everyone realized what had happened, she was being pulled away from Harry by firm hands. The hands' owner carried her away from the field and then sat her down in his lap. Ginny cried on the robes of her rescuer and kept whispering that it was her fault._

"_Ginny it wasn't your fault. Just calm down, please. He made the decision to save your life on his own, and you returned the favour by killing the man that had killed him and his parents. You're a hero Ginny," cooed the man holding her._

_She looked up at the person holding her, expecting to see her father, or a brother, or even maybe Lupin. But when she looked up, her eyes connected with those of a light grey hue, and she recognised the white-blonde hair instantly. Instead of being scared she felt comforted by Draco's hold on her and buried her head in his robes again to cry._

_Draco kept smoothing her hair down and whispering comforting words in her ear. When she looked back up at him again she acted without thinking, and kissed him with all her might. Almost as fast as the kiss began, it ended with Draco pulling away, looking back into her eyes._

"_That won't make it all go away Ginny," he said to her. Although in the back of his mind he wished it really would make it all go away._

"_I know… that was thanks for comforting me and taking me away from it all," Ginny said to him softly._

_He ran a hand over her cheek to remove a tear and went on with what he was saying. "I know what will make it all go away though, it's what I use to help the pain," Draco said pulling out a couple of pills from his pocket._

"_What are those?" Ginny asked, a curious look emerging through her tears._

"_They won't harm you; they'll just make you feel better."_

_Accepting anything that would help ease the pain she was feeling inside, she took the pills from his hand and swallowed them down._

Hermione looked at Ginny in shock when she finished the story. She had narrated the flashback to Hermione, but decided it better to exclude the fact that she had kissed Draco minutes after Harry's death. "So Harry jumped in front of the Killing Curse that was intended for you and you killed Voldemort?"

Ginny nodded and looked up at Hermione with guilt in her eyes.

"Then you picked her up and carried her away to comfort her and gave her drugs? What drugs were they Draco? How do I know your intentions are good towards Ginny?"

"Why would I hurt her Hermione? She's the only person that looks at me like a human being anymore."

"You didn't answer my question Malfoy," Hermione said firmly.

"Ginny, what did those pills do to you? Did you feel like you were being harmed at any time?" Malfoy insisted to Ginny.

"No, they made me feel light and like I had no troubles. I was fine the whole time I was on them Hermione. Draco has done nothing to hurt me."

"Okay, so you aren't hurting her. But Ginny, what are you doing about the baby?"

"I'm keeping it of course, it's the last of Harry's bloodline and I want to keep it going for him. I owe it to him to give his child life."

Hermione looked at Ginny and was surprised to see her smiling again, although it wasn't the Ginny smile she was used to. The skin on her face was pulled tightly and her eyes were filled with sorrow that would probably never leave. Feeling content about knowing what happened, and that Ginny was safe and cared for in Draco's presence, Hermione left Draco's room to fill Ron in on the latest news. Before she left she looked back at Ginny and asked her about informing people about the baby.

"I'm going to wait until Christmas break to tell the whole family. You can tell Ron since I know it will kill you not to tell him, but make sure he doesn't tell anyone. Oh, don't tell anyone at school, although I'm sure they'll find out through the weight gain eventually."

"All right Ginny, but you might want to warn McGonagall and tell Madam Pomfrey, they need to know about the condition you're in."

Ginny nodded and watched Hermione leave the room. She then turned around and looked at Draco. He knew what she wanted.

"Make me forget again Draco."

He looked at her hesitantly and walked to his drawer full of Muggle pill bottles. "What about the baby Ginny?"

"I researched it Draco, I put a protective spell on my womb for the baby. The pills won't hurt the baby, they'll just help me." She held her hand out expectantly to Draco, and he dropped two white pills in her hand and took two for himself. They swallowed them together and talked while they waited for the high to come.

"Where did you get these from Draco? They're heavenly," Ginny said turning over on the bed to look at him.

"Oh, I have my connections for everything you can dream of," he smirked at Ginny with a devilish look in his eyes.

"So what other drugs have you done?" She asked him wanting to know how to forget even more.

"We could be here all night if I listed them all Ginny. Let's just say I've dabbled in everything and this is what I prefer out of all of them, painkillers are my saviour."

"What are these exactly?" Ginny asked, as her words slowly glided together.

Draco smiled as he watched her pupils growing smaller and knew she was feeling the high. "These are what the Muggles call Vicodin. They're a painkiller - that's a downer. When used recreationally they put you in an almost euphoric high where there are no cares in the world."

Ginny smiled knowing this feeling well. Before she knew what her hands were doing she had moved a strand of blonde hair away from Draco's face and smiled at him.

"You know what Draco? I thought I'd never know happiness again when I saw Harry die and then I had to commit murder, but with you I'm happy again. With you I know everything will be alright again. And although I know I will never stop loving Harry, I know I will eventually move on." Fire burned in Ginny's eyes, the passionate fire that Draco recognized all too well. Ginny had been looking at him with that passion in her eyes since the day Harry died. This made him feel guilty.

Even though he and Harry had never been friends he knew that without him he probably wouldn't be where he was right now, which was laying next to a beautiful, seductive redhead.

"That's the high talking Ginny. Think before you do something you'll regret."

"I'm tired of thinking Draco, all I do is think, and cry. I think of memories and what I will do with this baby and my future. I want all thoughts to go away."

With that Ginny crawled across the bed to pin down Draco. The fire was blatant in her eyes now as she bent her head to touch her lips to Draco's. He hesitated at first until he took her idea to heart - don't think, just do.

Draco kissed her hard back and captured her tongue in his mouth and sucked on it. A moan leaked from her mouth and she fought back by biting his lower lip. He growled and started to grab her backside roughly and hungrily. His hands moved up her soft back while he moved her shirt out of the way. Her hands were grabbing at his shirt, trying to get it over his head. He stopped kissing her to let her get the shirt out of the way and ripped hers away with one smooth motion. Draco looked back into Ginny's eyes and saw not only passion, but a flicker of something else he had never seen before, it was soft and endearing.

Ginny let her hands roam his well toned chest while she sat straddling him. She bent down and rained his exposed skin with kisses. She moved from nipping his neck and collar bone, down to his well-defined pecks. Using her tongue she travelled further down his stomach and sucked at the skin around his pelvic muscles. While doing this she started undoing his belt, and then his jeans. She looked up at him while she pulled his pants down and discarded them.

"Boxer briefs?" she asked, her eyebrow raised questioningly at him with a smirk. He smiled and nodded at her. His breath caught when she threw away the topic of conversation and looked with interest at the present she had unwrapped. Slowly she gazed up at him with a devilish look and surprised him when she took him into her mouth. He groaned her name and rubbed her head as she made smooth movements with her mouth. Ginny looked up at him again when she took him as far into her mouth as she could.

Before she could do anything again he pulled out of her reach and pinned her under him while connecting their mouths again. He fumbled behind her back for her bra and unclasped it, then threw it across the room. Draco looked at the beautiful orbs with appreciation. For being such a petite girl she sure was well endowed in this area.

Ginny squirmed under his gaze and he took this as a signal while he put an aroused nipple in his mouth and suckled it. She whimpered and he moved to the next one. While lavishing her breasts his hands worked on her jeans. He undid them with one hand and put his hand down to caress her through her knickers. She was obviously as excited as he was given the condition her undergarments were in. Ginny hastily drew down her panties for him before he slipped a finger into her.

Draco worked furtively on her bundle of nerves while pulling his fingers in and out of her. Ginny squirmed even more under this attention and grabbed Draco's hair. She then let out a scream that meant she had reached climax.

Draco pulled his fingers away and waited for Ginny to regain her composure. When her eyes finally fluttered open he licked the fingers that had explored her. Ginny's eyes flew open in surprise and arousal, and drew him to her. She kissed him eagerly and positioned him over her again. Draco pulled away from the kiss and looked deep into Ginny's eyes, as if trying to read her mind to make sure this was what she wanted.

"Please Draco, I need you," Ginny whispered, looking back into his eyes hungrily.

There was no better sign than this, he thought. He entered her slowly and enjoyed the intake of air she took while she felt his girth. He pulled back out just as slowly, watching her face that pleaded that he fill her again. Draco smiled at the radiant girl beneath him and entered her again with more force. Ginny whimpered and closed her eyes with a mischievous smile on her face. Draco began to thrust in and out of her while watching the pleasure on her face.

Ginny sighed and moaned with every move he made. Draco picked up his speed and put more of himself into her, causing her to scream out loud as she raked her nails down his back. Draco growled and slammed into her causing her to hold on harder. He kept up this pace until he heard her scream his name. She clenched her inner muscles around his penis which made him climax right after her.

Draco collapsed on top of her and started kissing her all over her face. She smiled at this sign of affection and kissed his sweaty cheek.

"Bloody hell Draco, is that what I was missing by not being in Slytherin?" Ginny joked between gasps of air.

Draco laughed, "No, that's what you were missing by being sober."

"Well, I never want to be sober again," Ginny said full of honesty.

Draco looked at his lover with a warm feeling flooding through him. Ginny had taken him by surprise. This innocent, broken girl had turned out to be his match. She wasn't innocent, she was open to exploration and she wasn't as broken as he had formerly thought.

Draco slid off of her and lay on his side to pull her in close. He kissed her shoulder and sighed in content. Soon sleep fell upon them, the best sleep either of them had had in a very long time.


	5. The Perfect Escape

The next morning Ginny woke up to the smell of pancakes drifting over her.

"Mm…where is that delicious smell coming from?" she asked, stretching in the big bed.

"I went down and got us some breakfast so you wouldn't have to leave the room. I was afraid you wouldn't come back," Draco said walking over to the bed.

"Are you kidding Draco? After last night and the last week? I don't think I ever want to leave, I'm so happy here. Plus you have the drugs," Ginny smirked at the last part.

Draco laughed and walked away to get a tray of food. He walked back into the room to see Ginny hunting for her scattered clothing. "What do you think you're doing?"

"Getting dressed, I'm not going to eat starkers."

Draco set the tray down on the bed and walked to his wardrobe for a button up shirt. He tossed it at Ginny and laughed at her surprised look.

"I can't get dressed unless I'm putting on your shirt, eh?"

He walked over to the still nude Ginny and wrapped his arms around her waist. "Well I was just planning on getting fuelled up for round two."

Ginny arched her eyebrow up at him and decided to obey. She put the over-sized shirt on and walked over to sit on the bed. She grabbed a plate and put pancakes, eggs, and bacon on it. Draco watched in amazement since Ginny would barely consider eating a forkful of eggs the day before and now she was scarfing down a plateful of food.

She noticed him watching her and shrugged at him. "I need the baby to eat."

Draco chuckled and joined her on the bed to eat. After they had finished, he sent the uneaten food and empty plates to the kitchen. Ginny was lying on the bed looking content for a moment until all of a sudden she jumped up and ran to the toilet. He ran after her and held her hair back as she vomited her breakfast back up.

After she was done retching she lay back while Draco gently rubbed her stomach.

"I guess the baby is anorexic or something," she joked while trying to gain her composure.

"You've just got to take it slow Ginny."

"Screw Harry, I think he did this on purpose. He knew he'd die and leave me with this as payment for it," Ginny said lolling her head back onto Draco's shoulder.

"That's not funny Ginny. He never would have wanted you to be miserable."

"I know, I know. It's just so much easier to be mad."

Draco cut her off before she could say more. "Don't be mad at him. You should be happy. You loved a great guy. Now you're carrying his child. I know it's not picture perfect at all, but you'll have to take it as it is."

Ginny turned around and looked at him appreciatively. "I never though the day would come when I would hear Draco Malfoy, the former Death Eater, standing up for the great Harry Potter."

"Things change. I never though I'd be holding back your hair while you retched up the breakfast that I brought to _my_ bed to feed _you_. I grew up."

"I like how you grew up," she sighed. "I think I'm better now. I want to brush my teeth though."

"I have an extra toothbrush you can use. We can keep it here for when you stay the night." Draco hoped she would stay over a lot. He'd never been so intrigued by a girl like this before.

"Aren't you Mr Hopeful over here? Thinking this will be a regular thing to come by."

Draco smirked maniacally at her. "I do have the drugs." He picked her up off the floor to stand her on her feet. He moved away to retrieve the spare toothbrush and walked into his room.

Ginny watched him, surprised at his confidence. She decided not to dwell over it and proceeded with getting the vulgar taste out of her mouth. After she was done she walked back into Draco's room to see him doing something on his desk.

"What would you be doing there mister?" Ginny asked seductively while draping her arms over his shoulders and nipping his ear.

"Well since it's Saturday I decided we'd have some fun. These are lines of OxyContin. They're like the pills we did last night only a lot stronger," Draco informed her.

Ginny looked confused at the white lines of powder on the desk. "Do I lick them?"

Draco laughed at how uninformed she was, but remembered that this was something a squib had taught him while he was hiding among Muggles. "No Ginny you blow them. I'll show you what you do." With this Draco took out a Muggle pen barrel that had the ink cartridge removed so that it was hollow and had open holes on both ends of it. "This is a pen barrel Ginny. What you do is put it in your nose and hold your other nostril closed with your finger. Then you suck in your nose so the powder goes up and keep sucking even after you are done with the line so none drops out."

After this explanation Draco showed her how to do it. He snorted the line with ease and handed Ginny the pen barrel while wiping his nose and still sniffing in. Ginny looked hesitant, debating on whether to do it or not.

"You don't have to do it Ginny. You can stick to the pills if you want. This one is just stronger and the high is better," Draco told her, recognizing her hesitance.

"I want to do it," she said letting determination come over her face. She took the pen barrel from Draco and put it in her nose. Ginny snorted the line of what was to become her new favourite drug. She continued to suck in, even when she was done with the line trying to keep as much of it in her nose as possible.

"Good job. Just go sit on the bed while I clean this up."

Ginny nodded and walked to the bed already feeling the effects. She had never felt anything like this before. Even the pills weren't like this high. Everything was prettier, more highlighted and it felt like she didn't have a care in the world. Even though Harry wasn't there… Harry, what would he think about her if he saw what she had been doing?

"Hey there Ginny. Why the sad face? Don't be sad, this is a happy drug if you don't think sad thoughts," Draco said approaching the bed that Ginny was perched on.

"I was fine, but then I thought of Harry and wondered what he would think of me." Ginny looked at Draco, surprised. She hadn't meant to say all of that - had he put a truth serum in the drugs?

"See the thing with the drugs we're doing is that they're downers. If you think about something sad you'll drown in it. Another thing is that it makes you talk without thinking about whatever you are saying."

Ginny looked slowly up at Draco. Her thin jaw hung open a bit and her eyelids drooped over her eyes with nearly non-existent pupils in her chestnut eyes. "I don't think I mind it, actually. I'm tired of hiding from all of this shit Draco. I want to face everything that happened so I can get over it." Ginny said this triumphantly and then looked at Draco. "Why me, Draco? Is it just because we both lost people?"

Draco sighed and ran his hand through his hair. He had known this question would come up on day. He should've known it would happen sooner with the drugs in her system. "Ginny, even before the war happened and we got to know each other, I noticed you. I saw how confident you were and how beautiful you were. That night when I was supposed to murder Dumbledore I couldn't because of you. All I thought was if I did that I'd surely be sent to Azkaban and would never live out my dream."

Ginny stared at him with the far out dopey look on her face in awe of what he had just told her, everything he just told her travelled slowly through her brain to register. "You've been watching me? All this time I thought you hated me, you actually secretly wanted me? Why didn't you do something?"

"Ginny, do you really think that you would've wanted me back then? Even now Ron hates me no matter what I've done to change his mind. Plus, you were in love with Harry, and he didn't even remotely accept me until my parents died." Draco commented while starting to pace and running a hand through his hair.

Ginny realized what he was saying was the truth. Not until a couple months ago did the thought of him being a human being enter her mind. She stood up to walk the couple of paces to him and ran her hands up his toned chest. Her hands seemed to develop a mind of their own, travelling down his arms and circling back to his waist. She traced the line of boxers lightly with her nails while he shivered at the touch. Her hands travelled up and circled his nipples until they formed hard peaks. She then slid her hands up to lock behind his neck.

She stood on her tiptoes to reach his lips. She kissed his lips softly letting this motion speak to him in words that she couldn't say. Draco's hands slipped up the only piece of clothing she was wearing and traced his hands up her back. Her skin was so silky to touch and he wished to explore it all day.

Slowly she walked them back to the bed where she broke their embrace to sit down on the edge. His eyes watched her hands intently while she slowly unbuttoned the shirt she had on. In Draco's mind Christmas had come early and his present was unwrapping itself in front of him. When Ginny was done unbuttoning her shirt she shrugged to let it fall down on the bed around her. Draco noticed how thin she had become and vowed to help her with the problem she had unknowingly formed.

Ginny motioned for him to come over seductively, but Draco shook his head while he took in his present with his eyes. She sighed at this and lay back on the bed. At this Draco's breath caught in his throat. He saw her hip bones poking dangerously out of her skin, and the way her ribs framed highly above her sunken stomach. Draco was amazed that with her rapid weight loss her breasts were still full mounds on her chest he silently thanked the pregnancy for that one.

Having explored her to his liking with his eyes he moved over to the temptress lying on his bed. "Don't move Ginny," he told her as he took her foot in his hand. Draco started by kissing the arch of her foot and gently moved up to her ankle to ravish it with kisses. Slowly he moved up her inner leg until he reached the peak in the middle. He noticed that she was already moist with want for him. Gently he blew on her and she shivered slightly with the cool breeze on the warmth between her legs. Besides that he ignored her precious spot and made a path down the other leg with kisses. When he finally reached her spot again he flicked once with his tongue on her bundle of nerves.

Ginny let out a sigh. She wanted to make him caress her where she truly needed it, but her body wouldn't respond; it was as if she had a full body bind on her. "Draco, please," she sighed while his mouth hovered over her pussy. His ragged breaths brought his arousal to her attention. Just kissing her body had turned him on. Ginny sighed at this thought and smirked at her decision to let him have his fun.

Draco brought himself back to a standing position and reached out to Ginny. "Come here," he commanded. Ginny obliged and grabbed both of his hands so he could help her stand up. Once they were standing he put his hands around her slim waist and pulled her to him. He lowered his head to hers and captured her lips hungrily. Like everything in life, he had finally gotten what he wanted - Ginevra Molly Weasley was his, and she was moulded the way he wanted her.

Ginny kissed back just as hungrily and let his tongue possess her mouth. While being transfixed with this kiss she felt herself being turned and pushed somewhere. After travelling a few feet her back hit the solid wall. _Two can play this game_, she thought. She moved her hand down quickly before he could react and grabbed him through his boxers. Draco moaned into her mouth as she stroked his length encased in silk. Ginny hooked her fingers into his boxers, pulled them down, and let them pool at his feet. He stepped out of the boxers and lifted Ginny up to support her against the wall.

Ginny hooked her legs around his hips and sighed in relief when he entered her, gently letting herself engulf his full length. Draco stood there without moving and looked intently into her eyes.

"Keep your eyes open the whole time. I want to see your pleasure." She nodded and he proceeded to thrust into her. Every thrust she met perfectly with the movement of her hips.

"Please Draco, faster," she moaned desperate to reach her imminent climax.

"Hold on," he whispered and moved her over to his desk. He lowered her gently onto the waist-high surface without ever leaving her warmth.

Ginny grabbed onto the desk and raised her legs to rest on his shoulders so he moved in her at mind-blowing angle.

Draco thrust hard and fast while she screamed his name and tried frantically to keep her eyes fixed on his. This in itself almost made him come, but he wanted her to reach climax first. Ginny started to squeeze the edge of the desk hard, her fingers turning white from the grip. Suddenly she screamed his name one more time and her muscles spasmed, but Draco kept going wanting to feel engulfed in her as long as he could.

He lifted Ginny off of the desk and moved her to the floor wanting to see her better. His thrusts became quick again when he felt Ginny reaching her second climax. Not being able to hold it any longer he let go and followed her into nirvana. Draco fell on top of her breathing hard, but was filled with warmth that was odd to his still-cold heart.

"I can get used to this Draco," Ginny whispered in his ear. "I don't need classes or anyone else's comfort anymore as long as I have you and the drugs here."

Suddenly Draco realized what he was doing. He was Ginny's escape outlet from reality; with him there she didn't need to face pain. She had become his dream girl; even if she was always in a drugged up stupor. In a way she had formed wild addictions between him and the drugs. Ginny was spiralling down and it was his fault.


	6. The War Against Herself

Ginny woke up alone a couple of hours later. It wasn't the smell of pancakes that awoke her this time, but rather the voices of girls gossiping. She sat up quickly and looked around; this was her dormitory not Draco's! _Had it all been a dream?_ She wondered. This thought was quickly dashed when she saw a note on her bedside cabinet addressed to her.

Ginny,

You need to deal with this all on your own.

I can't help you. Once you're better and if you

still want me I'm here like I promised, but get

better by yourself.

Draco

Tears ran down her cheeks wildly. How could such a cold letter be signed with love? How could he leave her when she needed him the most? Didn't he just promise her and Hermione he'd help her through it all? She guessed she had been deceived; Draco Malfoy was still a Malfoy.

Ginny hopped out of her bed and ran to take a quick shower hoping it'd wash the hurt away, but to no avail. She quickly got dressed and ran down the stairs to the common room with one thing on her mind - Draco.

She ran past the curious looks of Ron and Hermione and sprinted to the dungeons with calls from portraits telling her to slow down. Ginny approached Malfoy's room and uttered the password desperate to know what could be going on. She searched around for him, but found nothing but another note.

Ginny,

Don't look for me. I have left Hogwarts

for now, but will be back at some point. Please

get help, real help, not the held I could give you.

Draco.

Ginny was angered by this letter. How dare he just leave like that, and only in a matter of hours! Quickly she tore through his drawers for his hiding places, but only found empty bottles and parchment. Finally, while looking at the bottom of his wardrobe she spied a loose board and pried it up. Her eyes glowed at the sight of pills, so many pills! She grabbed as many as she could fit into her pockets and sat back against his bed. She opened a bottle with the name Vicodin printed on it and swallowed three. She would get the help she wanted, Draco and his advice could sod off! Suddenly she started feeling guilty for stealing these bottles, but figured he could get more, she needed them now anyways.

Tears started flowing down her cheeks as she got up and lay on his bed. She had pushed the one person she had away. Maybe if she hadn't gone so fast with him… But she just wanted him so badly. He was the only person that could numb all the feelings that coursed through her. The pain of losing Harry and the utter ignorance she got from her family Draco and his drugs numbed away. After a few minutes she started feeling the effects of the drugs. She began to calm down and finally got to thinking.

Finally she decided what she needed; her mum. She needed someone to help her decide what to do. Ginny grabbed the pen barrel and cards from the hole and shoved them in her pockets. Then she put the floor board back into place and made her way to McGonagall's office. She paused outside her door to make sure she was still crying and looking distraught despite feeling the calming lull of the drugs. Then she walked into the new **Headmistress's** office after saying the password.

"Professor McGonagall," Ginny sobbed, "I need to go home!"

"We knew the transition back to normal routine would prove difficult. But I thought we agreed it was for the best, Miss Weasley, yes?"

"I'm pregnant," she whispered not wanting to be stuck in the office too long.

"Merlin's beard… Are you really? Have you seen Madam Pomfrey? Well, I suppose you'll want to be getting home anyway. Of course you can go immediately. I'll send an owl to your parents; you'll need your things sent home. I'll speak with your professors as well…" McGonagall trailed off as she reached the fireplace.

Ginny smiled weakly in response.

"Off you go, then," said McGonagall, as if she were ushering a student to class, attempting to gather a semblance of normalcy.

"Thank you Professor," Ginny sniffled before stepping into the green flames and stating her destination as clearly as possible.

She landed in the Burrow's fireplace and ran into the kitchen knowing her mum would be there.

"Mum!" Ginny yelled with relief flooding over her and embracing her mother.

"Ginny, what's wrong sweetie?" Mrs Weasley asked filled with concern over her only daughter crying. She knew Ginny had been through so much in the past month and had been hesitant about letting her return to Hogwarts at all. Her husband on the other hand said the studies would help Ginny heal, and so would her friends. Obviously he was wrong.

"Mum, I'm pregnant with Harry's baby," Ginny declared, just wanting to get it out in the open.

Mrs Weasley stood shocked about the words her baby just said. "Harry's baby?"

Ginny nodded looking straight at her mum, surely she couldn't be upset. "I still love him mum, even though he's gone and we're young, I really do love him."

"Oh sweetie I know you do, I could always tell how you two felt about each other. You're going to be a mum at sixteen. I'm just a bit shocked, but I know you'll be amazing."

"It means so much that you're all right with this. I've just been so lost since I found out. Harry's not here anymore, I don't talk to anyone at school because of the look, and Draco left me," Ginny declared.

"Draco? What do you mean Draco left?"

Ginny sighed and sat down, silently scolding herself for mentioning it; _these pills really did make you tell the truth_. Her mum had always been the one that protected Draco when he joined the Order though. She admired him risking his life for the sake of the wizarding world. Whenever someone brought up his past she jumped in to protect him like he was her son. She had practically adopted him like she had Harry.

"Well, ever since he comforted me after the battle we've been really close. He understands what I went through losing Harry and he's been amazing in distracting me from the looks I get at school. Well…I don't know. We were close, that's all, I guess. But then he left me a note saying I need to heal without him. This is after he told me he'd help me with the baby and getting over Harry's death."

Ginny was crying hard again, feeling the emptiness she had felt when she lost Harry coming back to her. She felt so alone and helpless. Was she that pathetic to need a guy to depend on? Was she one of those girls that did nothing for herself after years of proving her independence?

Mrs Weasley walked over to sit next to her daughter and held the hand that was lying on the table. She knew Draco pretty well since for a while she was the only one who trusted the boy and got to know him well. She had a hunch Ginny wasn't telling the whole truth, but decided her daughter was too upset to push the reason out of her.

"I'm here Ginny. I will help you every step of the way through this pregnancy, I have been through it six times. And if you need help with the Harry thing I'm here too, it was like a losing a son to me when he died. He was the son that I didn't bear from my own womb, but might as well have. I can't imagine smiling right ever again knowing he won't eat a healthy dinner, or bring about trouble like he always did. And the Draco thing, I'm sure he has a good reason for leaving. The Draco I've grown to love has good reasoning, and I know he'll be there to care for you."

Ginny looked up at her mum with the hint of hope in her eyes. She knew she had failed to mention the drugs and the new twist on her friendship with Draco (if you could still call it that), but those were her own private things that no one else need know.

"Do you mind if I stay here for a little while? I just can't bear going back to school right now. Plus, this morning sickness is absolutely killing me, I feel like I haven't eaten in weeks."

"Of course sweetie, I'll send Arthur to Hogwarts to get all of the things that you need. I'm sure Minerva wouldn't mind sending updates of your school work to help you keep up with your peers. But honey do you know how far along you are?" Mrs. Weasley asked. She knew her daughter didn't eat much even before Harry died, and was curious to when she could have gotten pregnant.

"About two months. I'm not completely sure. I'm guessing it was before the Diagon Alley battle," Ginny said knowing why her mum was asking. She knew she probably wasn't having morning sickness anymore, but a reaction to the drugs.

"All right, well you just go up to your room and rest for a little while. I'll bring you up some food you can probably keep down," Mrs. Weasley said with her motherly manner. She needed to get Ginny out of the room so she could contact Minerva and her husband. They needed to know what was going on, and she needed to find Draco before she lost not only her daughter, but her grandchild too.


	7. The Beginning

Ginny went up to her room and got into bed. She was relieved that she finally had permission to sleep all day long. She knew she was failing life, but kept promising herself to hold on for the baby. The sad truth was it was the only thing that kept her going.

Her mum entered the room and snapped Ginny out of her dark state of mind. Ginny couldn't remember when her mind had developed the shadows of depression, but knew she was getting accustomed to the bad thoughts.

Mrs Weasley handed Ginny the tray of food that consisted of toast, applesauce, and carbonated lime drink. She watched as Ginny ate the food slowly and noticed that her daughter was acting differently than normal. Her movements were slow and her eyes were droopy, but she wrote it off as the fatigue of pregnancy. After Ginny was done with the food her mother administered a potion that would help the baby, the potion was mostly nutrients. Then she left Ginny to sleep.

Ginny lay there wondering if the spell she put on her uterus to prevent harm from the Muggle drugs also prevented the potion from helping, but for some reason she didn't care. She was tired of being alone and should have all the energy to care about the person in her womb, but just couldn't summon the feeling to worry. Draco left in an effort to help her, but all it did was tear the last bit of her heart apart. Sinking into the morbid thoughts, Ginny went into a fitful sleep filled with screams and green lights flashing everywhere.

---------

"Where did she go?" he wondered, pacing around his room. Draco had gone back to check his room, only a couple hours after he had left. While he knew not being around her was the best for Ginny, he also knew the state she was in.

Draco had gone to McGonagall and told her he had to deal with some things at home and had promised to keep up with his studies. She had taken pity on him. Knowing that he had gone through so much in the past months helped her put past dislikes for the student behind her.

He had not lied to the Headmistress since he was putting the finances and businesses his parents had left him in order, but he was also getting Ginny out of his system. At least he thought he could. It seemed that for once a girl had grown on him. When in the past he was in it for the shagging, now he was in it for another organ of his body he hadn't even known could function properly anymore.

His parents had never been the endearing, loving type. They had married for the purpose of pureblood and social status, and could barely stand each other. Lucius had treated his wife as just a person to birth the heir and to plaster a smile on her face at social events for the sake of the business. Besides that, he could've been married to a log and would still feel the same.

Draco always thought he'd be the same way. He had never known love, just the urge to follow the family's way and to look like he deserved all he had. Even being the fruit of his mother's womb hadn't earned the affection he should have had from her. He was an accomplishment of a goal that had been set for her and that was all. Her mind was on other things like parties and the type of beverage that Draco was consuming at the moment.

He paced around his room until he reached the drinks again and refilled his glass. Draco had lost count a few laps back and started to swerve on his path. Surely something bad couldn't have happened to the girl that held his revived heart. He would've been notified by someone if she was in any harm, right? Draco decided to sit down and gain his thoughts. If Ginny was to leave Hogwarts where would she have gone?

As if answering his questions, the Manor's house-elf Apparated into his room informing him that Mrs Weasley was using the Floo Network to try and contact Draco. All thoughts shifted to the worst as he trekked to the study's fireplace. Sure he could have Apparated, but arriving splinched wasn't exactly intelligent.

"Is everything all right, Molly?" Draco asked urgently as he arrived to the fireplace. It had taken him months to start addressing her casually, but seeing that she was the only true mother figure he had ever had he had agreed to call her Molly.

"She's all right Draco. She has come to stay at home for a while, and I have you to thank for it," Mrs Weasley said.

Draco was confused by the statement. Was she really thanking him, or was she being sarcastic and he had made a horrible decision. Why was his mind so cloudy?

Seeing the boy's confusion Molly said, "Don't be worried, I'm happy she's here. It looks as if she hasn't eaten a bite in months and that is not good at all for her or the child."

"She has informed you then?" Draco asked, trying to control his slurring.

"Yes, she has told me the arrival of her and Harry's child will be in six months, and that you left her after promising to help."

Draco sighed and fell back onto his arse on the floor. "Molly, I did it for her own good. I will help her through everything, but that's after she gets help for her depression. All I do is help her drown it, I've never been strong with facing things head-on."

"Oh sweeties I know, I know. I know you'd never hurt her, and I agree with you. She has so much on her plate with Harry's death and the pregnancy. I'm afraid I've lost my optimistic glowing daughter. For once, I don't know what to do."

Draco was taken back. Did she really back up his decision to leave? Was Molly Weasley really stumped with what to do? He thought it could be that he had drank himself into a dream, but the cracking of embers was all too real. "What if I write everyday?" he finally spoke up. "Just so she knows I'm there and that I just want her to get better."

Molly's eyes lit up. "Oh Draco, that's a brilliant idea. She needs someone's support and love."

Draco nodded at the finality of his help. "I'm staying here for a while so if anything happens, Merlin forbid, floo immediately no matter the time."

Mrs Weasley said all right and ended the connection. Draco fell back to lay down on the Oriental rug and wondered how many drugs Ginny could be doing if she was home, surely she would run out eventually.

-------------

After she had ended the connection Molly sat down to think. She had already owled Arthur to tell him what was going on, and they agreed to have a family meeting that weekend to get the boys' help. Minerva had been told the situation and she was fine with Ginny's break since she barely had gone to class as it was. Now Molly just had to help her daughter through the cloud of morbidity surrounding her.

Deciding she had to do something, Molly went up to Ginny's room to check on her and found her sleeping peacefully. Molly then went down to furiously clean the Burrow to keep her mind off of things. After all, redheads were not only runners, but avoiders.

-------------

Ginny had heard her mum coming and had quickly put the book under the bed and feigned sleep. _Thank Merlin for this old house and its squeaky stairs_, she thought. Making sure the coast was clear, she pulled the book out that had the uneven lines lain on it. She picked up the pen barrel and blew the lines. Ginny leaned back against the pillows and sighed; if Draco wasn't going to help her escape she would just do it herself. Ginny let her mind wander into the darkness it had become.

_Harry sat on the bed and put his shirt back on eyeing Ginny sitting at the entryway of the tent, smoking a fag._

_"I really wish you wouldn't smoke those horrid things Ginny. They're so bad for you," Harry said wanting to say something to the girl he loved._

_Ginny looked at Harry and smiled. "We all die one day Harry; I'll just do it with less stress on me, and blacker lungs."_

_Harry had to admit he loved her cheek. Even in the face of death she could crack a joke. "There are other stress relievers though, love." Harry said walking over to Ginny and sitting behind her._

_Ginny giggled. "Baby, we already did that."_

_"I know, but then why are you smoking? Did it not help?"_

_Ginny leaned back into Harry and kissed him. "No it's not that, honey. It's like a cherry on top of a sundae of stress relief, a fag is."_

_Harry smiled and kissed his girlfriend despite her tasting of an ashtray. Their kiss was interrupted by a clearing of a throat next to them. _

_"Mum will kill you to see you smoking, Ginny," Ron warned his little sister. He shook his head at the sight. It was like Ginny was born after generations of not having a Weasley witch just to warn them of her rebellious streak. "I was told to tell you that we are leaving soon."_

_The couple sighed and leaned into each other as the reality of the war flooded back to them. It was only a month in and they were still exhausted, Harry from the battles, and Ginny from the thought of Harry not returning one time. She had begged him for a while now to let her fight but he held firm to her just tending camp and doing busy work for the war._

_Harry got up and helped his girlfriend to her feet. "I'll be back soon, love," he said and pulled her into a kiss._

_Ginny nodded and watched with a solemn expression as Harry and Ron walk away from her. _

_"Leaving you behind again?" A smooth voice said from behind her._

_She looked at the owner of the voice to see Draco leaning coyly against the tent bar. He wore the trademark Malfoy smirk and walked the couple of steps to her. _

_"I wish he'd let me battle. He has everyone else out there with him, even Hermione. I proved myself in the Ministry just as everyone else, maybe more, but he still won't let me fight," she sighed with pain in her eyes and sat down to light up another cigarette. Then she looked up at Draco and offered him one from habit._

_Taking a cigarette and lighting it, he joined her on the ground. "Well obviously not everyone can go Ginny," he stated with obvious chagrin._

_"He still doesn't fully trust you though. I mean you could make it easier if you were nice to the guy that didn't let you go to Azkaban or be killed. Plus, whenever he returns from battling you're talking to me which doesn't help the situation. But me, I'm his girlfriend and probably the best hexer around."_

_Draco put his arm around Ginny and pulled her into a hug. "He doesn't want to lose you Ginny. Even if you're the best hexer around, he, for some reason, wants you around to perform those hexes on him."_

_Ginny smirked and took a drag from her fag at the thought of her hexing Harry. She shook her head of the thought and looked curiously up at Draco. "Why is it when you're around me I have mean images of Harry in my mind? And why are you so nice to me of all people?"_

_Draco smirked at the redhead and took a drag. "You look at me like a human Ginny. Everyone but you and your mum look at me like I have boils on my face. I have no idea why you have mean images around me though, maybe it's your conscience."_

_"Or the Imperius curse Draco," she stated firmly, but laughed at it still._

_"I don't know what you mean Ginny, stated Draco as he laughed at the obvious effect he had on her._

_Ginny laughed again at Draco's effort to bring some light into her steadily darkening world. She shook her head at him and laughed out, "You know, sometimes I wonder why I'm with Harry when you're the one who makes me laugh like this."_

_Draco was taken back by the comment and looked down at the girl that he held in his arms. "Watch what you say there Ginny, or I'll have to sweep you away."_

_At this Ginny looked up at Draco and smiled. It really wouldn't be that bad to be with him since he was always there for her, he just wasn't the one that took her to bed each night and kept her up worrying all day. Suddenly her body took a mind of its own and the next thing she knew she was kissing Draco. Everything slipped away while their lips met, but it didn't last long._

_"Ginny, I was just joking. If it wasn't for Harry I wouldn't be alive right now." Draco stated, while inside all he wished for was that he could have her._

Ginny snapped back from the flashback of the first month of the battle. Almost everyday had went along the same line, just without the kiss. Then for a little while she had the boy that made her laugh like no one could. The one person that could bring a light into the dark world that she lived, and oddly it wasn't Harry it was Draco Malfoy. No matter what he had done for the Order and for the living's lives he was still looked down upon. No one knew what exactly had happened with him and his parents, just that he had somehow survived. When everyone else didn't trust the boy, he was the only one that she could trust.

She got up and walked to her window and threw it open. She climbed onto the sill and sat on it with her back against the frame and lit her cigarette with no other thought. If her mum was to smell it or walk in to see her smoking she'd have a fit, but that strange feeling of not caring about anything flowed through Ginny again. For her entire life she cared about what everyone said or thought. She always went out of her way to make everyone happy. Harry had told her not to fight and she agreed until just a week before the final battle. Her mum always told her to live life purely, no sex before marriage, don't smoke, don't drink, and no drugs or anything that would make your mind not natural. For a while she followed her mum's rules, but a couple of years back she found a pack of fags in Fred and George's room and stole them to see how they were. After all, what could be so bad about them if her brothers smoked them? Her first cigarette had been heavenly, after the coughing had surpassed. After she finished the pack she approached her brothers and told them to buy them for her or she would tell their mum about their smoking. Her brothers saw that as her first stroke of rebellion.

When she started smoking she started dating. She went around with a few guys around Hogwarts before she finally started dating Harry after years of longing for him. It was love that she felt for him; she knew that when he broke things off at Dumbledore's funeral, nothing had ever hurt like that pain before. Of course the break-up didn't last long. He came around during his breaks between searching for the Horcruxes and always ended up in her bed cuddling up. Only when he destroyed the last Horcrux did they finally make love, knowing that the war was full-blown and that the chance of death for either of them was exponentially higher than before. After their first time it became quite a hobby for them, being their escape from the real world. Sex was her first great escape. She would sit in the windowsill and smoke a cigarette and stare out at the moon or the trees and just think about how the world was going to change so much. When she was in Harry's arms though she didn't think about how the world was going to change because she thought that at least she had the security that things with Harry were going to stay the same no matter what. Once again reality came crashing around her when she was left alone while he fought and when he came back from fighting he was almost an empty shell of the man that she loved.

Then Draco walked into her world one day. They had been travelling for about a week when Draco had found their camp and walked up limping and bleeding. All he said was that he was sorry for everything he had done wrong and that Voldemort had killed his parents and almost killed him. He cried, Draco Malfoy had cried, and it had softened Ginny's heart to him. While he was healing she nursed him. She brought food to him and reapplied his bandages and gave him potions when it hurt too badly. They talked, which was a very surreal welcome for Ginny since no one talked to her - she was too young and there were more important things to do than to entertain a small child. A small child of the age of sixteen, that is… It never could make sense in Ginny's mind how they put those things together. Draco didn't see her as a child though and he told her of the realities of the war. He told her of some of the battles that he had been in, and had explained to her what had really happened the night that Dumbledore had been killed. He didn't hold back from her, and she appreciated that above all else. She still loved Harry, but the Slytherin Prince was somehow wiggling his way into her world, and her heart.

"Draco…" Ginny sighed as she exhaled the smoke from her lungs. She missed the one person she could talk to. In some portion of her mind she thought that if she said his name or wished hard enough, he would come to her. She was tired of wishing and dreaming though, all it did was hurt when reality came back. It always ended up with someone dying, or leaving, or her being pregnant. "Pregnant…" she sighed again.

As if to answer her wish an owl had come flying at her windowsill. She held out her arm for the owl to land on it and she took the note that was attached to the bird. The owl flew off without giving Ginny the chance to give it a treat or anything and Ginny looked down at the letter. She knew the handwriting. Letting herself drop off the sill back into her room she walked over to her bed to lie on it. Carefully she unrolled the parchment, wondering what more bad news he could give her today.

My dearest Ginevra,

I know you are so confused right now what with me leaving,

but I swear to you that I will not be gone long and you are with me

in my heart and in my mind. I had to sort some affairs out, and I had

to give you some space to heal rightly. You see, with me being there

you didn't have to acknowledge the pain you felt from losing Harry

or the realisation that you are in fact pregnant with his child. With

me being gone you cannot escape reality. While I know you think you

have stolen the way to escape you will soon run out of the

supplies and I will not provide anymore for you so for your best interest

you should stop now before getting in too deep. This is out of love for

you, Ginny. I have loved you for many months now and I thought you

should know that, maybe it'll make some things easier. I will not be

gone long though, and I will write everyday even if you don't respond.

I love you Ginevra Molly Weasley. Remember that when you pop them

or snort them, that you don't need that to escape, you'll have me when

you finally accept life as it is now.

Love with my all,

Draco.

Ginny huffed at the note and crumbled it up. She took her wand and lit the note up in flames so that no one would find it. All that went through her mind is that if he really loved her he wouldn't have left her like he did. Her hand travelled to the bump that was her child in her womb and she carefully rubbed it. _You're the only one that hasn't let me down yet_, she thought to her belly. Carefully she slid the book back out and she finished the lines she had cut. Really she didn't need to blow anymore since she was so high already, but she wanted to hurt Draco like he had hurt her. No matter what he said she didn't need to stop the drugs, she just needed to stop being let down by people so she wouldn't _have _to do them.


	8. The Moon is Gone

Ginny woke the next morning not even remembering falling asleep, or getting under the covers. All she remembered was Draco's note. She sat up in her bed debating on what to do when she saw a man sitting in the chair at the end of her bed. He was sleeping with his feet propped up on the mattress. Ginny smiled at her father; he must've taken the day off work to be where he was right now.

"_Gin-Bug? What are you doing out here?" The red-haired man asked his only daughter. She was lying on the bare ground outside just looking up at the moon._

_"Daddy, come here I want you to see this!" the ten-year-old said, full of excitement. It was like the child held the secret of the universe with the way she insisted. _

_"What are we looking at, Gin?" Her father asked after joining Ginny on the ground._

_"It's a full moon tonight, Daddy. I feel so safe when it's like this. Everything is bathed in wonderful light so you can see everything, good and bad."_

_"What do you mean good and bad sweetie?" he asked, perplexed by his daughter's statement._

_"She tells me that at some point in everyone's life the safety light goes out. She won't protect them anymore, so to keep your eyes open when she's there to memorise the good and bad so you can see in the dark."_

_"Who told you this?" Mr Weasley asked while looking at the large orange moon._

_"The moon told me," Ginny answered as if it was obvious._

_"You talk to the moon?"_

_"Every night, except when she hides. What colour do you see the moon as Daddy?"_

_"Orange."_

_"She's leaving you soon, Dad."_

Ginny remembered the conversation all too well. After she had informed her father that the moon was leaving him he had gathered her up and taken her inside. For the next few days he had seemed more on edge that usual. One day, about a week after the conversation, he had come home upset because he had been demoted. Someone had done something illegal and had framed him. Her father had walked awkwardly around her as if he were carrying the plague. Each night she could see him lying outside looking at the sky mumbling things. She never asked him about the moon again; apparently the moon treated Ginny differently from everyone else.

A rustling sound from the end of the bed informed Ginny that her father was finally waking up.

"Morning, Daddy," Ginny said to help move her father's awakening along.

"Good morning, Gin-Bug. How are you feeling today?"

"Better. Daddy, can I ask you something?"

"Anything sweeties," he cooed, as if to a ten-year-old again.

"What colour do you see the moon as Dad?"

Arthur paused at the question. He hadn't mentioned the conversation that he had with his daughter to anyone. They were witches and wizards; no one just talked to the moon like it was a good friend. It was almost as rare as being Parseltongue. "I don't see the moon anymore, Gin. About a week after our conversation she disappeared. Like one of those Muggle lightboops just burning out. I lay in the grass for weeks trying to coax her to come out; I hadn't been able to see the bad. Every night I wait for her to come out and shed some light onto my life, but she doesn't return. Does this happen to everyone, Gin?"

Ginny looked at her dad with eyes full of sadness. Over the seventeen years of her life she knew that she had something quite special. Being a child and sitting in her windowsill talking to the moon wasn't exactly something the other kids were talking about. Whenever someone pointed out how pretty the moon looked or how it wasn't there she was about to explain the moon's motives, but never did. Now the moon had left her after promising to never leave, and she felt abandoned by her too. It had been gone since the night she murdered, gone since the night that Harry had died. "Yes, Daddy, it happens to everyone. I think it's my fault that you noticed and it affected you so much though. If I hadn't pointed it out you never would've known that it was gone, and you wouldn't be so afraid of the sky just like what happens to everyone else."

"Do you still see the moon, Gin?"

"I'm supposed to be able to. She promised I'd always see her. After the night…" She paused, not being comfortable with saying it aloud yet. "Since the final battle happened, she's been gone. Maybe it's because of what I did, but she's just not been there."

Mr Weasley walked over to his daughter and sat down on the bed. He took his daughter into his arms and rocked her gently. "I won't leave, Gin. I know you've heard a lot of promises, but mine is real."

Ginny just nodded into her father's chest and let the words roll off of her. Everyone promised, and everyone left, so why believe the promises and end up getting hurt?

Ron paced around the dormitory, still avoiding Harry's old bed. It had become a nightly ritual. He would pace and avoid and wonder about what could have been if he hadn't let Ginny go fight. What would have happened if Ginny hadn't starting travelling with them? Would his best friend still be alive, or maybe Ginny wouldn't be having a baby? Ron finally stopped and sat on his bed. His sister was having a child and it was an odd realization, it was all too odd of a realization. Draco Malfoy was being a nice guy; Harry had always told him that Draco was an acceptable person after you got past the prat part. Ron never believed him though; he remembered that it was Draco's father who was responsible for almost killing Ginny. It was Draco who had gotten them into detention, and Draco was a part of the Inquisitorial Squad. How was he a good guy in the least?

He paced for a few more minutes until Hermione's words popped into his head about talking to the dead Harry. Ron needed someone to talk to; to help him over this bump that had firmly placed itself in his life. Immediately he left the dormitory and took the path that led to the library. He wasn't paying much attention about where he was going and ran into someone, knocking them down.

"Watch where you're going, Weasley," Draco hissed at Ron while rubbing the back of his head where it had met the wall.

"If you weren't such a klutz you wouldn't have fallen down, Malfoy."

"What are you doing out at this hour anyway, Weasley?"

"It doesn't concern you. Aren't you supposed to have run away though? Like the little ferret you are?"

"I needed something here, and when I'm here I am Head Boy and students being out of their dormitory are my concern, Weasel!"

"Probably needed to ruin someone else's life I bet," Ron mumbled under his breath. "Just heading to the library to do some research is all, is that a crime?"

"The library is closed, and what did you happen to mumble under you breath there?"

"That you ruin everyone's lives, Ferret, did you hear me that time?" Ron practically yelled at Malfoy's know-it-all attitude.

"Sod off, Weasel, all I have done is care for people."

Ron laughed at this. "You, care? Malfoys don't have hearts _to_ care. You ran Ginny away and your parents are gone because of you."

"All I did was look out for Ginny's best interests, and you should never mention my parents again! They chose their own paths and I chose mine. So next time you want to pretend to know me, bite your tongue instead!" Malfoy yelled at Ron and turned to walk away.

"You're going to be her downfall, Malfoy, so if you really care for Ginny, if you're capable of doing so, leave her alone."

Draco rolled his eyes at Ron. "Get your head out of your arse, Weasley. What have you done to help her, except shoving food down her throat until she vomits?"

"She needed to eat, she's been wasting away! I have been helping her!"

"Pacing in your room and crying on Granger's shoulder isn't helping her. Wishing to raise the dead won't do anything either. Maybe you should visit Gin and see how she is and give her some encouragement to get better. You admired Potter so much because he cared for everyone but himself. Take a page from his book - it could do you some good!"

"Don't you tell me…" Ron started to yell at Draco, but was interrupted by a female voice yelling his name.

"Ron! Ron!" Hermione panted out when she reached Ron. "Oh thank Merlin you're both here. Your mum just Flooed, Ron. It's Ginny; she's at St. Mungo's."

Without hearing the rest, Draco ran off towards his dormitory.

"Why's she there?" Ron asked in an almost calm manner.

"She wouldn't wake up when your Dad went in to her room, and she was writhing in pain. I don't know why, but you mum said to Floo there immediately; she's already informed McGonagall of what's going on."

"All right, will you come too?"

"Of course Ron, I'm always by your side."

Draco ran to his room as fast as his feet would take him and Flooed to St. Mungo's. He didn't have to ask questions to know what had happened. Ginny obviously was still doing the drugs, and was stressing herself about everything too. He arrived at the front desk, requested to know where Ginny was and set off to the maternity ward. When he arrived to the waiting room it was to a gathering of flaming red hair. Everyone was there of the Weasley clan except for Ron and Percy, who had been killed during the war. Draco was immediately engulfed into the bosom of the Weasley matriarch. She hugged him so hard to her that Draco was finding it difficult to actually breathe.

"Molly, let the boy go. He needs to know what is going on here," Mr Weasley said, while putting a comforting hand on his wife's shoulder.

"I'm sorry, Draco." She sniffed and wiped at her puffy red eyes. "I'm just so glad that you're here, I think she needs you the most. Arthur, fill the boy in please, I just can't."

"Gin, is she alright? She's still alive, right? The baby…" Draco asked fervently, his mind spinning to all the worst things that could happen to his Ginny.

"Son, sit please, and calm yourself. Ginny's still alive, don't worry. She's in a deep, calm sleep right now. I went to wake her tonight to get some food and potion into her when she wouldn't wake. She just rolled around her bed clutching her stomach and making the most awful noises. We brought her here immediately and they administered a Calming Draught to her. It seems like her body is literally fighting the baby, and they don't know why."

Draco slumped further and further down in his seat during Mr Weasley's brief synopsis. _This is my entire fault_, he thought to himself. _Why did I introduce her to my world?_ Draco leant forward and put his face in his hands and let those thoughts run through his mind. "Can I see her?" The words erupted through his hands.

"Of course; love can only help," Arthur said to the son of one of his oldest enemies.

"Thank you, sir," Draco let out while standing up shakily. _Or love can destroy_, ran through his mind.

"Right through here." Arthur guided Draco with all of the other Weasley eyes on them. A year before, no one would have predicted the scene to be real, not even Trelawney with her odd sight could have seen this happening. But this was the scene. A Malfoy being led into a Weasley's room freely, while her brothers watched with, what was it he saw in their eyes? Sympathy? Pity?

Draco entered Ginny's room and walked to the bed while the door shut quietly behind him. He walked as if in a trance to the side of the still Ginny. If her chest weren't rising just the slight bit that it was, he could have sworn that his worst nightmare had come true, that he had lost his Goddess. And he viewed her as just that, _his_ Goddess, the person who lit up his night and showed him where to go and how to feel. With her there was no wrong in the world, but at that moment it was like he had shot down his own moon.

He sat in the chair next to her bed and watched Ginny's chest slowly rise and fall. Slowly he let his hand travel to hers and held it. Draco squeezed it as if to let her know of his presence.

"This is my fault, Gin. If I hadn't given you those pills and taught you how to escape you wouldn't be in this situation. I am so sorry, Ginny, I am so sorry," Draco whispered while tears slowly fell down his face. He wiped them away with his free hand and then put it on her barely noticeable belly. Draco sat like that for a long while with short stammerings of apologies and his eyes firmly on Ginny's angelic face. If he had looked out the window he would have seen the moon shining full and bright on them, and the hazy spectre in the corner that resembled a bespectacled boy.


	9. When Reality Hits

Ginny finally awoke three days later with a napping blond boy attached to her hand. Her heart warmed at the sleeping boy. She had no idea how anyone could think him to be a cruel murderer. She saw him as the best friend she had. A prat, maybe, a lot of the times but not a cold murderer. Ginny looked around to take in her surroundings; she remembered getting very high and that was all. How had she gotten to be in a room with two single beds and potion bottles everywhere? _Oh sweet Merlin, I hope they don't know about the drugs!_ she thought while scrambling to sit up and look around frantically, all the while forgetting about the sleeping wizard holding onto her.

"Am I dreaming?" a raspy voice asked below her.

Ginny looked to see that she had pushed Draco off the bed, and in the process woken him up. "You're not, but I might be. Where am I, Draco? What happened to me?"

"Your body was trying to reject the baby. They don't know why, but I think I have a thought," Draco stated, and gave her a questioning look. He knew she was aware of what he was insinuating, and wanted to know if he was right.

"I was so upset, Draco. Everyone had left me; everyone I had loved and trusted wasn't there. Ron's avoiding me, except when he insists on shoving food down my throat. Hermione just wants to know what really happened to Harry, and Mum sees me as a fragile vase. Then you…" Ginny said, having some of her previous anger return. "Oh you, Draco Malfoy! You comfort me, feed me drugs and kind words and then leave me! All of a sudden I was back on the battlefield holding a dead corpse that had filled me with hopes and promises!"

"Gin, please," Draco pleaded, trying to explain himself.

"No! I'm so sick of people's excuses. Everyone is trying to help me; if you want to help, stop treating me differently! I want to go back to how everything was!" Ginny yelled with tears pouring down her cheeks.

"That'll never happen, Ginny. Nothing will be that way again," Draco stated matter-of-factly. "Harry's gone, and with him a piece of everyone who loves you. Ron is reminded of Harry because of you. Hermione is always looking for answers because she's an insufferable know-it-all. And Gin, I wish you could understand where _I_ was coming from. I would never hurt you. I'm looking out for your best-"

"My best interests? Draco, I already have one father and I don't need another. Right now I need a friend, a close friend. I need help to be happy again, and happy with this pregnancy. It was not the drugs that put me here, I know that. Something else is happening to me, to us," Ginny said, putting her hands on her stomach. Draco looked into her eyes and put his hand on top of hers.

"I'm so sorry, Ginny. I've been such a wreck without you," Draco confessed, looking longingly at her.

"Then be with me," Ginny whispered.

Draco leant into Ginny and gently kissed her. He felt the familiar warmth flood over him that only Ginny could cause.

"Get the bloody hell off of my sister!" Ron roared, barging into the room.

Startled, Ginny jumped. Draco turned around too quickly, knocking over the chair and tripping. With a loud thump his head came into contact with the metal bar of the bed.

"Fuck, Ron! Look what you've done! Clean up your own personal messes before causing others!" Ginny scolded her older brother while scrambling from the bed to help the knocked out Draco. "Out!"

Ron rushed out of the room before his sister could put one of her gruesome hexes on him.

"Draco? Draco, can you hear me?" Ginny asked, frantically stroking Draco's hair out of his face to look at the product of the incident.

"Is it okay with you if I kill your brother?" Draco breathed out, coming back to consciousness. Ginny laughed at his question and kissed his head softly to make it all better.

"I'm fine with that, as long as it's quick and painless. If it's not then Mum will be rather angry about it."

"Never mind then; it's no fun if it's painless," Draco responded.

Ginny laughed and swatted Draco's shoulder playfully. "You're just fine, get up," she said while attempting to stand.

"No, my head, the pain!" Draco exaggerated, holding the side of his head that had not met the bed.

"Oh, you…" Ginny started, but fell back down in her attempts to stand up, clutching her stomach and writhing violently about.

"Oh shit, Ginny? Someone help! She's sick again!" Draco yelled, getting up and running to the door. Immediately the room was filled with mediwizards and witches scraping Ginny off the floor. Draco stood in the corner, watching helplessly as Ginny was administered a Calming and Sleeping Draught. Silently, the main mediwizard scanned Ginny's body with his wand, trying to detect what was happening to the girl.

"Nothing," he finally said, exasperated. "This makes no sense at all. How can her body possibly be trying to reject the child when the baby is perfectly healthy? We need to get fluids and food into her!"

Swiftly, Draco was escorted to where Ginny's family was firmly planted. Draco dropped into a chair between Ron and Hermione, not noticing who he was sitting between. He put his head in his hands and shook his head, not understanding what was happening to Ginny. Draco flinched when he felt a hand rubbing his back. He looked to see whose it was, only to be stunned that the Mudblood was trying to comfort him. Confusion was the only thing to be seen in his eyes, confusion about the 180 degree turn his life had taken without him knowing.

"All right?" Hermione asked, with worry showing in her eyes.

Draco shook his head slowly. "I don't know what's wrong with her. We were laughing and then all of a sudden she was clutching her stomach and an odd look was on her face. It wasn't pain or fear; it was almost like it wasn't her inside of there."

"I think you need some real rest, Malfoy," Hermione suggested to the stubborn man.

"I don't…" Draco started protesting, but was interrupted by shadows over him.

"I'm heading back to the Burrow. Why don't you join me, and Mum will cook you a nice meal and you can get some sleep," Charlie stated. It wasn't really a question, but more of an insistence. While Draco was still not the most welcomed person to their family, he seemed to have an odd attachment to Ginny, and Charlie seemed to appreciate that.

Draco started to protest again, but Charlie put his hand up to stop him. "I'm sorry; you thought that was a question. I really meant, you're coming to the Burrow with me and that's that."

Deciding that he was too tired and worn to fight a dragon specialist, Draco stood up. He had forgotten about his fall and head injury until it started throbbing at the sudden movement, and he swayed a bit. Charlie caught him before he fell and Apparated them quickly to the Burrow. Arriving just outside the yard at the Apparation point, Charlie practically carried the swaying Draco to the house.

"Mum!" Charlie yelled, entering the kitchen, "I need a little help here with this fat boy!"

Molly approached her son and their guest, wiping her hands on her apron. She helped her son take Draco into the living room so he could be laid on the couch.

"What did you all do to him?" Molly asked curiously of the blond lying in front of her.

"Your brilliant youngest son made me fall and get to know the edge of Ginny's bed personally," Draco groaned, holding onto his head.

Molly swept his shaggy hair to the side to see an already protruding bump on his head. "Oh dear," she tutted at it. "I'll go fetch some headache potion," she stated before scurrying off.

"What's your deal, Malfoy?" Charlie asked, spinning on Draco.

Draco was taken back at the sudden confrontation. His head was spinning still and had no idea how someone could move that fast. "What are you on about?"

"Don't play dumb, Malfoy. Are you trying to catch her on the rebound? Couldn't be content with the fact that she was your friend; you also have to have her as yours too? She's very vulnerable right…" Charlie's sentence was cut off by Draco sitting up abruptly, despite his aching head, to give Charlie a deathly look

"You Weasleys think you all know about your sister, but do you have any idea what is really going on with her?"

"She's upset about losing Harry, you prat! We all are, except you, of course!" Charlie spat at the young Malfoy.

"You know nothing about how I feel or the extent of Ginny's condition!"

"Then what…" Charlie was interrupted again by his mother entering the room and making a surprised noise.

Molly surveyed the scene cautiously. Charlie had been one of the more accepting people about Draco and she had no idea where his behaviour was coming from. Charlie gave his mum a stern look that stated he was handling the situation and to leave. Getting the hint, she gave Draco an apologetic look and the potion and left the room.

"I love Ginny; I have for so long now. I have had the courtesy to respect her up until now, why would that change all of a sudden? She's always been the only one to hear me out about anything and to break down the wall that my father helped me put up. I know she's vulnerable and hurting right now and I have no intention of harming her. All I have done is help her ease the pain she's feeling right now."

"How have you done that?" Charlie asked, narrowing his eyes at the younger man.

"I have my ways," Draco drawled, looking at his nails haughtily. When he took a peak up at Charlie he was looking down the unwavering wand of a dragon trainer.

"She only loves you when she's high, Malfoy," Charlie stated slowly, letting every word cut deep into the boy. Draco eyed him curiously. "I'm not stupid like you think all of us Weasleys are. I know Ginny, and slurred words and small pupils are not in her usual description."

Draco sat eyeing the elder Weasley son, wondering if he truly knew since he had not even seen Ginny in the past couple of months before seeing her at the hospital.

"Hermione told me when we got to St. Mungo's. Only me though, but I assure you that if you do not leave Ginny alone you will have to deal with more red-headed fury." Charlie lowered his wand and walked calmly from the room.

Draco sat watching where Charlie had just left with a still-splitting head. Forgetting the potion that Molly had given him, he reached into his pocket and retrieved a pill bottle Ginny hadn't found in her raid through his room. Opening it up and putting two pills in his mouth he leant back against the sofa and sighed. He realised that Ginny wouldn't stop doing the drugs since it helped her emotional pain, but what was causing her physical pain? Getting an idea he stood up quickly and Apparated back to St. Mungo's.

Running down the hall, he ran into the person he was searching for.

"Oy, Malfoy, look where you're going! Wait, didn't Charlie take you home to get some rest?" the bushy haired girl asked.

"Couldn't sleep if I tried, Granger, and no I don't want a Sleeping Draught so don't ask. I wanted to know who, besides Charlie, you told about the drugs."  
Hermione hesitated a bit, curious about how Charlie had approached Draco about the subject, and why he was still in one piece in front of her. "Well… I only told Charlie and Ron."

"You told Ron? How in the bloody fuck could you tell Ron that she's doing drugs?" Draco yelled, flailing his arms about.

"I didn't exactly tell him that she was doing drugs as much as I told him that you were giving them to her," Hermione confessed hesitantly, eyeing Draco as if he could attack at any moment.

Draco let out a large sigh and ran his hand through his hair. He was normally so put together and calm, especially about what the Weasleys thought of him. Today was different though; he was in love with Ginny and wanted nothing more than to be with her. He knew that if Ginny's parents thought he was potentially harming her and precious Potter's baby then he was pretty much on the curb without family again. Suddenly, he stopped in his path and opened his eyes widely at the realisation that he had taken Potter's position. He was Ginny's man and the Weasley's adopted son, _he_ was a member of the Weasley clan. Angered, he approached the wall and ran his fist into it. His parents were surely having seizures in their graves, and he was surely in a lot of pain.

Everything came back fast when he heard Hermione yelling for help, and he remembered he was in St. Mungo's. For the second time that day he was passed out cold on the institution's floor, only this time it was due to reality hitting him instead of the edge of Ginny's bed.


End file.
